Vietnam joins efforts to reduce global ocean plastic waste

DNHN - Vietnam has signed a legally binding pact to join the accelerated global effort to combat ocean plastic trash.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has delegated responsibility for the proposed treaty's formulation to the Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands, which has already made initial contributions to the process. It includes proposals to the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) on two fronts: moving to a circular economy and identifying global solutions to impediments that states cannot solve on their own.

Vietnam currently ranks fourth in the world in terms of plastic waste, of which only 10 to 15% are currently collected for recycling. About 730,000 tons of plastic waste ends up in the ocean every year. According to a recent World Bank report, “Vietnam has set ambitious national plastic waste management targets to combat the economic and environmental consequences of this waste nationwide”.

Mr Nguyen Ngoc Son, Deputy Director of the Department of Natural Resources Control and Environmental Protection of Sea and Islands under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said that the structural framework of a global agreement on ocean plastic waste and microbiological plastic will work towards the goal of comprehensively reducing plastic waste. by applying technical and policy measures at each stage of the plastics life cycle; designing, manufacturing and consuming sustainable plastic products according to the plastic industry value chain; and sustainable management according to the 3R model (reduce, reuse and recycle). 

Building an effective global cooperation mechanism is also one of the important goals of the World Wide Fund for Nature's "No Plastics in Nature" Initiative, which aims to support countries in the world. countries and regions "to establish a legally binding global agreement for countries to work together to end plastic pollution". 

While waiting for a global agreement, many countries including Vietnam have issued policies and allocated resources to solve the problems of ocean plastic waste and microplastics.

According to Mr Son, Vietnam believes that the ocean plastic waste challenge is a global issue that requires a global approach and solutions, but must be addressed in line with the priorities of the ASEAN region. and Vietnam. Vietnam is ready to join discussions to jointly build an agreement on ocean plastic waste based on respect for international law, blue oceans, a green planet, peace, stability and prosperity. 

Several key topics will be discussed and considered, including land-to-sea policies and actions, plastic lifecycle approaches, transitioning from a linear to a circular economy, and effective plastic management that conserves resources while maximizing efficiency. Additionally, actions taken by individuals, organizations, countries, and regions will be evaluated on a global scale. Numerous proposals have been made, including public-private partnerships, increased producer liability, fines for polluters, and deposit return systems. 

Mai Anh